President Lee opens presidential residence to opposition in rare bipartisan meeting
Published: 22 Jun. 2025, 19:46
![President Lee Jae Myung walks into the luncheon with bipartisan leaders at his official residence in Hannam-dong, central Seoul, on June 22. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/06/22/50021619-6875-428f-9270-543d27137ca6.jpg)
President Lee Jae Myung walks into the luncheon with bipartisan leaders at his official residence in Hannam-dong, central Seoul, on June 22. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
President Lee Jae Myung hosted a rare bipartisan luncheon at his official residence in Hannam-dong, central Seoul, on Sunday, marking the first time since his inauguration 18 days ago that he has invited opposition leaders to the presidential compound.
The meeting with leadership from both the Democratic Party (DP) and the People Power Party (PPP), which went on for one hour and 45 minutes, was described by the presidential office as a “meaningful first step toward frank and regular communication between the president and party leaders,” adding that they all agreed on having such meetings more frequently.
The gathering began in a congenial atmosphere, with pleasantries exchanged across party lines. Newly elected PPP floor leader Song Eon-seog congratulated Lee on his inauguration, to which the president responded in kind, congratulating Song on his new position and expressing hope for constructive cooperation.
Lee emphasized the importance of unity on foreign policy, citing his recent participation in the Group of 7 summit.
“I believe it was an opportunity to show that the turbulence and crises in Korea are stabilizing,” he said. “I hope we can coordinate our positions on foreign matters.”
On domestic issues such as the supplementary budget, he added that having “policy disagreements are natural.”
“Let’s try to adjust where possible and find common ground where we can, to overcome the current challenges swiftly,” he said.
PPP interim chief Kim Yong-tae said, “if the Lee administration pursues sound policies and seeks national unity, PPP will certainly cooperate.”
![President Lee Jae Myung, left, speaks to People Power Party interim chief Kim Yong-tae, during a bipartisan luncheon held at his official residence in Hannam-dong, central Seoul, on June 22. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/06/22/99192107-6792-4516-a9bf-23edff466c72.jpg)
President Lee Jae Myung, left, speaks to People Power Party interim chief Kim Yong-tae, during a bipartisan luncheon held at his official residence in Hannam-dong, central Seoul, on June 22. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
Song echoed the sentiment, saying, “Whether from the ruling or opposition party, a successful government leads to a happy nation. I hope President Lee will be remembered as a successful president.”
But the civility quickly gave way to sharp policy clashes — most notably over the nomination of Kim Min-seok as prime minister.
Song expressed strong objections to Lee’s prime minister nominee, saying, “The allegations surrounding him are overwhelming.”
He also criticized Kim Min-seok for allegedly accepting ministry briefings before his confirmation hearing, while failing to submit required documents and posting mockeries online about other lawmakers.
“This kind of arrogance is nothing short of contempt for the confirmation process,” Song said.
PPP’s Kim Yong-tae called for a return to the vetting principles once advocated during the Moon Jae-in administration, including prior bipartisan agreement in the National Assembly.
Kim Byung-kee, the new floor leader of the DP, pushed back, warning against destabilizing the confirmation process with unverified or private allegations.
“Personnel matters collapse when too many hands shake them. We must rely on the confirmation hearing to assess the facts,” he said, while calling for reforms to the current system. He emphasized the need for a better process for vetting nominees, hinting at the necessity of revising the confirmation hearing law.
In a closed-door discussion, President Lee said it would be “appropriate to observe how the nominee defends himself during the hearing.” He expressed sympathy for reforming the confirmation process, citing the reluctance of capable individuals to accept cabinet roles due to the personal scrutiny involved. According to Song, however, the president did not directly address calls for Kim’s withdrawal, a silence that Song interpreted as a refusal to withdraw the nomination.
The longstanding issue of committee leadership in the National Assembly also resurfaced. Song insisted on tradition, requesting that the PPP be allowed to chair the judiciary committee, while the majority DP holds the speaker position.
![President Lee Jae Myung, second from right, poses with bipartisan leaders before heading to a luncheon at his official residence in Hannam-dong, central Seoul, on June 22. From left: Newly elected PPP floor leader Song Eon-seog, PPP interim chief Kim Yong-tae, President Lee and Kim Byung-kee, the newly elected floor leader of the Democratic Party. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/06/22/6ba31d20-54ad-434c-9e84-9d25ddec421c.jpg)
President Lee Jae Myung, second from right, poses with bipartisan leaders before heading to a luncheon at his official residence in Hannam-dong, central Seoul, on June 22. From left: Newly elected PPP floor leader Song Eon-seog, PPP interim chief Kim Yong-tae, President Lee and Kim Byung-kee, the newly elected floor leader of the Democratic Party. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
“This would restore political balance and foster unity,” Song said.
Kim Byung-kee rejected the idea, saying, “It was the Yoon Suk Yeol administration that ignored political balance and national unity for the past four years. Stop worrying and give us a chance to do it right.”
President Lee refrained from offering a clear opinion, saying only that the matter should be negotiated between the parties.
Following the meeting, Song said at the press briefing that the opposition would “closely monitor both the outcome of Kim Min-seok’s nomination and the DP’s stance on the judiciary committee chair.”
“If the ruling party refuses to yield on any of those issues, this lunch meeting will be seen by the public as having dragged the opposition party into a mere photo op,” he added.
PPP’s Kim Yong-tae called for assurance that “no legislation will be pursued that interferes with the criminal trials involving the president,” while Song expressed concern over proposed changes to the criminal procedure and election laws, which he said could undermine the judicial system. However, no substantial discussion took place on that front.
Economic policy was also discussed during the luncheon, including debate over the government’s proposed supplementary budget.
Kim Yong-tae cautioned that fiscal expansion could further fuel inflation. Kim Byung-kee, however, countered that the measures were necessary to navigate the economic crisis and urged that the administration be given a chance to implement its plan.
During the closed-door meeting, President Lee also asked about economic policies, to Song, a former vice finance minister, who said he responded with suggestions on unemployment benefits and pandemic-era debt.
The president suggested that “areas of policy overlap between the two parties be acted on promptly.”
Party leaders agreed to review the idea.
A senior presidential aide, who requested anonymity, said, “no breakthroughs were made on contentious issues, however, given the lack of dialogue in recent years between the president and party leaders, this level of conversation alone marks a major step forward.”
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY OH HYUN-SEOK, JANG SEO-YUN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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